(cross-leveled with HIST 7615). The political map of the Middle East was transformed in the twentieth century. This course examines the critical role that British imperialism played in this process, as the domains of the former Ottoman Empire were divided into the nation-states we know today. In particular, it explores the critical decades of British rule as the ‘mandatory power’ for Palestine, Trans-Jordan and Iraq, in the face of economic depression, ethnic conflict, and anti-colonial nationalism. Topics include: the collapse of Ottoman rule, the First and Second World Wars in the Middle East, the imperial record in government, and the consequences of this key period.